This invention relates to surgical clips able to be deployed to tissue through electrosurgical techniques. More importantly, the invention relates to bipolar surgical clips.
Ligation or occlusion of ducts, veins, arteries or blood vessels is common in many surgical procedures. Often it is desirable to do so using one or more surgical clips which are intended to remain in place on either a temporary or a permanent basis. Many of the known surgical clips typically are made entirely of a single type of material such as surgical grade metal (e.g., titanium or stainless steel) or biocompatible polymers.
Some medical procedures require that surgical clips be deployed to permanently ligate a duct, vein, artery or vessel. In such situations it is important that the clip not become dislodged or displaced over time. However, it is believed that approximately 30% of surgical clips intended to be permanently installed become dislodged or displaced over the course of time. Such dislodgement or displacement of the clip can result in the undesirable release of fluid or blood.
Although surgical clips generally are administered mechanically, they may also be administered electrosurgically. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 786,574, filed Nov. 1, 1991 and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a surgical clip applicating device in which electrosurgical current is delivered to the clip through an active electrode, and to the adjacent tissue as the clip is deployed. This enables the clip and the adjacent tissue to be fused together, resulting in more secure surgical clips. The electrosurgical clip applicating device is used with a remote ground electrode which is secured to the patient's body, generally at a location remote from the area in which the clip is deployed. Although quite effective for deploying clips, there is some potential for harm to the patient due to the relatively long path through the body over which current must travel to reach the ground electrode.
Accordingly, there is a need for electrosurgical clips which can be safely and effectively deployed through electrosurgical techniques without the use of a remote ground electrode.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a surgical clip able to be electrosurgically deployed without the use of a remote ground electrode. Another object is to provide a method and apparatus for electrosurgically deploying surgical clips while reducing the length of the current path within the body. Another object is to provide a surgical clip able to be used a bipolar electrosurgical device. Other objects will be apparent from the description which follows.